Poetry by Andrew Shields

Pensacola

A tear wells up when he sees

the flag at half-mast across

the street from his house.

It has never been his custom

to light a fire in memory

of the life he hasn't lived.

He took the quiz: if he were

a dog, he'd be a pit bull.

He'll live on the street

or find a no-kill shelter.

Andrew Shields lives in Basel, Switzerland. His collection of poems "Thomas Hardy Listens to Louis Armstrong" was published by Eyewear in 2015. His band Human Shields released the album "Somebody's Hometown" in 2015 and the EP "Défense de jouer" in 2016.

Twitter: @ShieldsAndrew

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewshieldspoems/